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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. foot — a measure
  22. craft — boats
  23. stand — to bear
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com